Exploring visual journalism

Inside Burning Man 2013

As many as 68,000 people from all over the world turned out for the radical arts event set in the remote Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

An aerial view of the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival is seen in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 29, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

An aerial view of the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival is seen in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 29, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

A sculpture of a fire breathing dragon is seen at sunrise during the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 29, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Participants walk past the effigy of the Man, seen at the center of the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 29, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

A participant looks at art works on the playa at sunrise, during the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 29, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Burning Man participant Virginia Biney from Philadelphia poses next to an art installation at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Burning Man participants bike across the desert at sunrise at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Two Burning Man participants who go by the playa names “Gogo” (L) and “Poptart” kiss at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Two Burning Man participants cycle through a dust storm at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Burning Man participant Fritz Gomez Wood gives a thumbs up during the “Gold Bikini Happy Hour” hosted by Rat Camp at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

A participant who goes by the playa name “Honey B” drinks from bottles of champagne as she lies atop empty bottles in a shopping cart during the “Gold Bikini Happy Hour” hosted by Rat Camp at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

A Burning Man participant toasts the sunrise with a bottle of champagne at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

An art car shaped like a train drives across the desert in the early morning hours at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Elane Beach (L) and Diane Hanese (R) sit in an art car called “The Gondola” parked beside the “Truth is Beauty” sculpture created by Marco Cochrane in the early morning hours at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Participants dance around and atop an art car parked beside the “Truth is Beauty” sculpture created by Marco Cochrane at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Alexandra Aguilera, who goes by the playa name “Crazy Rouge,” and flew to her first burn from her current home in Hong Kong, looks out at the light of the rising sun at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Rochelle Schieck dances by the “Truth is Beauty” sculpture created by Marco Cochrane at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Participants dance atop a moving “hookah lounge” art car at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

A participant meditates alone atop the structure of the “Kostume Cult” sound camp made by campers from New York at the Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

A “Freak Show” art installation is seen at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

The sun sets over the “Cradle of Mir” art installation at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 30, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Participants look at a mutant vehicle during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Participants dance during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Mutant vehicles drive across the Playa during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Christian Jacobsen (C) adjusts the sand at the Guardian of Dawn art installation during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

An art installation burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Participants climb an art installation before sunrise at the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Katherine Cadger and Kevin Rae watch the sunrise at the Temple of Whollyness during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Participants cuddle at sunrise at the Temple of Whollyness during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Participants watch the sunrise from atop an art installation during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Krissy Humphreys performs with fire at sunrise at the Temple of Whollyness during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Jason Teplitsky looks at messages left by participants at sunrise at the Temple of Whollyness during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The Temple of Whollyness at sunrise during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Rasika Mathur (L) and Grant Ball look at messages left by participants at sunrise at the Temple of Whollyness during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Messages are left by participants at the Temple of Whollyness during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Christin Meador is towed along the Playa by Adam Johnson at sunrise during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Gessica Preto Martini (L) and Amma Antwi-Agyei pose for photos on an art installation during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Jamie Singer weeps as she walks through the Temple of Whollyness at sunrise during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Daniella Priebatsch photographs an art installation during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Ranger Beauty, her “Playa” name, mans the perimeter around the Man before it is burnt during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

A firefighter keeps people from getting too close to the burnt remains of the Man during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013.(Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Members of Northwest Fire Conclave perform before the Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Members of Northwest Fire Conclave perform before the Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Members of Northwest Fire Conclave perform before the Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Dust envelops the Man before it burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

People wait before the Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Jed Vassallo (L) and Erin Bohlmann cheer as the Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Participants begin to gather for the burning of the Man during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Shabalaba, his “Playa” name, dances during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 31, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Dust envelops art installations during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, September 1, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Rhonda Clark cooks hash browns for breakfast on the burned remains of the Man during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, September 1, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Pippin, his Playa name, chats on the phone with God during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, September 1, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Pippin, his Playa name, chats on the phone with God during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, September 1, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

A participant makes her way around the flames as the Temple of Whollyness is burned during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada September 1, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Spectrum, his Playa name, flies an American flag as the Temple of Whollyness is burned during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada September 1, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

The “Temple of Whollyness” burns at the conclusion of the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, late September 1, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Burning Man participants walk towards the Temple of Whollyness as it burns at the conclusion of the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, late September 1, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

A Burning Man participant pays homage to the Temple of Whollyness as it burns at the conclusion of the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, late September 1, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

The Temple of Whollyness is burned during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, September 1, 2013. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

A fire tornado emerges from the burning embers of the Temple of Whollyness as it burns at the conclusion of the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, late September 1, 2013. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

One Comment

Bridget Griffiths
Sep 04, 2013 @
20:07:00

Thanks so much for the awesome photos ~ My brother Adam loved this festival and I feel bless to see his image burn with the man this year he is greatful for all her shared here I am sure ~ love and blessings 🙂

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